Push It

If you don’t feel strong enough to do a regular push-up yet, you can elevate your upper body with a prop to make the move easier on the rest of your body.
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Place your hands a bit more than shoulder-width apart on a sturdy table, chair or bench. Align your body in a basic push-up position with your feet hip-width apart. Your body should make a straight line from your head to your heels.

Level 1: Elevated Upper Body

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As you lower your body, keep your hands in line with your shoulders, drawing your elbows backward so they brush against the sides of your body.

Level 1: Elevated Upper Body

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Keep your elbows tucked in tightly to really fire up your tricep muscles, and then push back up. Don’t let your elbows stick out to the sides.

Level 2: On the Knees

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You’re closer to the floor, so gravity is working against you and pushing you down, but you’re still not using your full body weight.

Level 2: On the Knees

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Place your knees on the ground and your hands on the floor with your wrists in line with your shoulders and your fingertips parallel and facing forward. Avoid crossing your ankles, which will cause you to favor one side.

Level 2: On the Knees

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Lower your body, keeping your chin, butt and hips in line, and then push back up.
*If you feel any pinching or pain in your lower back, switch to an easier version. These moves should feel challenging, not straining.

Level 3: The Classic

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Even if you can only do one classic push-up at first, give it a try. You should feel your entire body engage as you move.
Place your hands just wider than shoulder-width apart, with your fingertips facing forward. Extend your legs behind you with your feet as close together as possible and your toes on the floor. Spread your feet further apart for more stability.

Level 3: The Classic

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Engage your thighs, glutes, abdominals and shoulders as you slowly lower your body until it hovers just above the floor. Don't let your hips sag or raise, which will strain your lower back. Keep your entire body in line as you push back up.

Level 4: One Foot On Top of the Other

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Now that you’ve mastered the classic push-up, kick it up a notch by balancing on one foot, which creates instability and forces your muscles—from the obliques to the pectorals—to work even harder.
Begin in the classic push-up position, and then stack one foot on top of the other.

Level 4: One Foot On Top of the Other

Slowly lower your body and push up, keeping your focus on a point on the floor a few inches in front of your hands. You should feel the burn in your glutes!

Level 5

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For an added challenge, keep one leg lifted throughout the move instead of resting it on top of the other leg.